"Ugh... ughhh..."
Inside the classroom, only one student remained, Mai Zenin, all alone.
She kept gasping for breath.
As she stared at the grade sheet on the desk, at the failing mark written there for her class performance, her mind went completely blank.
Although Mai's jujutsu ability was nothing impressive, her academic grades had always ranked in the top three in the entire school. She was a model honor student.
Utahi Iori had once evaluated her like this.
If Mai was willing to set her mind to researching Spirit Summoning Technique and Barrier Techniques, then she would definitely beco one of the top support-type sorcerers in the Jujutsu World.
But she had been born into the Zenin Clan.
Born into that feudal family where the strong devoured the weak and n were valued above won.
Mai and Maki, those twin sisters, were clearly daughters of the main family, yet from childhood they had been excluded, isolated, and even bullied, raised to beco maids who served their masters tea and water.
All because they were cursed twins.
When she was little, Mai had not never thought about resisting.
She hated that cousin of hers nad Naoya Zenin.
Because that guy was always looking at her and her sister with contempt, so when their mother decided to send her to serve Naoya Zenin, Mai cried and made a scene, refusing no matter what to beco that bastard's maid.
But that resistance only lasted a few days.
In the end, it was Mai herself who chose to serve Naoya Zenin.
Because she discovered that every ti she refused to go to her cousin's place, her sister would always co back at night with her face bruised and swollen.
Faced with their mother's arrangents, Maki had never once uttered a complaint.
Once she learned that her younger sister did not want to beco a servant, Maki, as the older sister, was the first to silently take over her ss and bear Naoya Zenin's anger alone.
And Maki had never discussed that decision with Mai even once.
Because she was the older sister.
An older sister had to protect her younger sister.
Mai wanted to protect her sister too.
So she could only suppress all the unhappiness and hatred in her heart and serve Naoya Zenin from the bottom of her heart.
Because that cousin of hers was a complete piece of trash.
And a cunning, vicious piece of trash at that.
Naoya Zenin usually did not tornt Mai.
Because Mai was a fragile porcelain doll. With only a little force, she would shatter to pieces.
But Maki was different.
With [Heavenly Restriction], she was like a punching bag that could never be beaten broken, an excellent toy that could be played with for a lifeti.
And on top of that, Maki never admitted defeat.
Even when Naoya Zenin trampled her viciously underfoot, there was never any despair in her eyes. Instead, with her own blood, she was tallying the score stroke by stroke.
So every ti Mai accidentally angered Naoya Zenin, the heir of the Zenin Clan rarely seriously beat her.
Because he knew that hitting her sister Maki was the sa as striking her sister Mai straight in the heart.
People always said that twins shared a psychic connection.
Naoya Zenin wanted to know the answer to that too, so year after year, he kept tornting the sisters.
And so one day, while Mai was using alcohol swabs to help clean her sister's wounds, Maki suddenly grabbed her hand and asked,
"Mai, tell , what do you want to do tomorrow?"
What did she want to do tomorrow?
Mai had no idea what her sister ant.
Because what she wanted to do tomorrow had long since ceased to have anything to do with her.
Everything depended on the Zenin Clan's arrangents.
On Naoya Zenin's arrangents.
So all she could say was, "I don't know... I've never thought about sothing like that at all."
"Then hurry up and think about it."
Her sister suddenly revealed an incredibly doting smile.
"No matter what you want to do tomorrow, I'll go with you."
"Really?"
"Really."
"All day?"
"For a lifeti."
So late that night, the two of them snuck off to the back mountain of the Zenin Clan estate. Just like the picnics they used to have with their mother when they were little, they lay on the grass and waited for the sun to rise.
Because for those Zenin twin sisters, only the ti they spent sleeping truly belonged to them as freedom.
For Mai, even a fleeting mont like that was already enough for her to treasure for a lifeti, enough for her to keep dragging herself on in the Zenin Clan.
"Mai."
Her sister suddenly stood up, looked at the thousand-year-old estate below the mountain, and spoke with incomparably serious eyes.
"One day, everyone in the Zenin Clan will have to look up to us."
...If only she had been able to understand those words back then.
If she had, she definitely would have grabbed her sister's arm and begged on her knees for her not to leave the Zenin Clan, for the two of them to just keep sinking together like this.
If that had happened, then she would not have co to Jujutsu High, would not have t this bunch of idiots, and would never have learned that the outside world could actually be so...so happy and beautiful!!!
"Ughh...!"
That painful, nauseating feeling instantly made Mai Zenin retch.
And not only that, because her Cursed Energy had been squeezed dry to the limit, blood began spurting uncontrollably from her nose.
Drop by drop, the blood fell onto the desk, as though mocking this girl's overestimation of herself.
You are worthless.
You are a child nobody wants.
Even your own sister abandoned you, Mai Zenin. What right do you still have to go on living?!
That nightmare in her heart gradually turned into Naoya Zenin's voice, repeating itself over and over beside her ear.
My foolish little cousin, even if your enemy were standing right in front of you, you still would not dare lift your head?
You do not even have the courage to fantasize. A coward like you deserves the Zenin na? Deserves to be Naoya Zenin's sister?!
Those thoughts, full of negative energy, finally swallowed Mai Zenin whole.
"Bang!"
Her arms dropped limply, and she pitched forward.
She could not rember anything anymore.
Jujutsu theory, textbook knowledge, blood-deep hatred, even all of her pride...
Mai no longer wanted to know any of it.
She already...did not want to keep trying anymore.
"Young Master, it's ti for class to end."
A voice ca from far away.
"I know."
Naoya Zenin's voice was blurred.
After that, the conversation between the two could no longer be heard clearly.
The reason was simple.
Because once a Jujutsu Sorcerer gave up on everything, it was the sa as burying their own [Innate Technique] with their own hands. And once they beca a loser, even their five senses would be stripped away.
Nothing mattered anymore...
"Ugh..."
Mai finally could not hold back her tears.
Just like when she was little and Naoya Zenin used to bully her, she crouched there hugging her head and cried in that sa pathetic way.
Whenever that happened, her sister would always step forward to protect her.
Even if she could not beat that cousin, she would still keep getting back up no matter what. Even if she ended up battered and bleeding, she would still protect Mai.
Why?
Sis, why did you abandon ?
You can abandon everyone else in the world, but . I'm the one person you absolutely were not allowed to leave behind...
Mai cried like that.
Weakly. Helplessly.
No one was going to save her.
Not even her sister would co.
Because from beginning to end, Mai had never been soone who was needed.
From the mont she was born, she had always just been the useless burden dragging her sister down.
If no one in this world cared about her at all, then if she just collapsed here, that would not matter either, right?
Then die...
For anyone else, that would probably be sothing worth applauding and celebrating.
But was that really okay?
At that mont, a disappointed sigh suddenly echoed by her ear.
I thought you were an uncut diamond. Looks like I was wrong.
That was Naoya Zenin's expectation.
She had let this teacher down.
Even if he was her enemy, she had still let her enemy down.
Mai was not even qualified to be Naoya Zenin's enemy.
Because she could not do anything.
"...Ugh."
Mai finally ca back to herself.
She sniffed, wiped her face with her small hands, and slowly pushed herself up from the floor.
It was already dark outside.
The empty classroom felt especially silent.
While Mai had been wallowing in self-pity, Naoya Zenin's class had already ended. More than that, Jujutsu High had already dismissed for the day and closed up.
What exactly had she been doing just now?!
She had sunk into frustration and defeat, like so self-pitying little kitten. But no matter how desperately a kitten scratched at the wall, no mouse was ever going to crawl into its mouth on its own.
She had never wanted to beco a Jujutsu Sorcerer in the first place, so what exactly had she been trying so hard for all this ti?!
And that damned Naoya Zenin had broken her down with just a few words. In the end, was she not exactly the sa as before, with no growth at all?!
Whatever.
She was probably the only student in the class who had failed.
That scumbag cousin of hers would definitely make a huge issue out of this. Maybe graduating would even beco a problem. Maybe she would get kicked back to the Zenin Clan ahead of schedule.
And tomorrow, the other students would definitely laugh at her.
There would probably even be people who ca specifically to gossip and dig into her past with Naoya Zenin.
If the fact that she had once been a maid got exposed, then her reputation really would be ruined...
Thinking about it that way, compared to dying of social humiliation, going back to the Zenin Clan almost sounded like the better option.
No helping it. She should go take a bath first.
Just as Mai staggered forward, about to return to the dorms to wash up,
"What?!"
The girl happened to glance at the podium.
In that instant, Mai's eyes went wide, her small mouth falling open blankly as her whole body froze in shock.
Naoya Zenin was still standing there.
Still as arrogant and overbearing as ever. Still standing there ramrod straight. Still staring at her with that sa cold gaze.
From beginning to end.
From the mont Mai gave up on herself, to when she collapsed and cried, to when she pulled herself back to her feet again...
Naoya Zenin had been standing there watching the whole ti.
"It's been three hours and twenty-seven minutes, Mai Zenin."
His voice was as cold as ever, and yet to Mai's ears, there was a gentleness in it she had never felt before.
That warmth felt completely out of place with Naoya Zenin's cold and lofty exterior.
Mai slowly lifted her head in disbelief and looked into her cousin's eyes.
In the pitch-black darkness, those amber eyes were the only light.
The girl could clearly see herself reflected in them, looking so pitiful and fragile.
"How much longer are you planning to make wait?"
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